Slack adjuster



H. E. ANDERSON Aug. 5, 1930.

' SLACK ADJUSTER Filed June 12, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l I n I n in INVENTOR MW w W n h I I I BYJVZ AT ORNEY I Aug. 5, 1930. I E. ANDERSON SLACK ADJUSTER v 3 Sheots-She et- 2 File'd mine 12 1950 INVENTOR A TORNEY g 5, 1930. H. ANDERSON 1,772,434v

SLACK ADJUSTER Filed June 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR i -17% ll 13m WORNE? 120 fouling, either on the car frame or thecar which are to be considered as Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES,

I HJIARLEY n. ANDERSON, or KANSASCITY,

PATENT OFFICE MISSOURI, AssIeNoRlf 'ro GUSTIN-IBACON MANUFACTUR NG co., or KANsAs any, mrssonnr, A coRroR rIoN'oF MISSOURI sLA'cK Anzrosrnn Applicatihn riled June 12,

for its further object,

' to. accomplish the above by shortening the top rod rather than by moving the brake cylinder levers. I Another object is,- to .construct the device so that the levers, actuzited by the air brake 5 cylinders, will be continuously held in right angled relation to the centerline of the brake cylinder, as there will never be any appreciaable slack, and in this Way will materially .port1on17 which is provided preferably with a thread 18 of'coarse pitch, which is of s'uf-.

decrease the liability of the brake rigging wheels, whichresults when there is considerable slack. A I

. A concrete embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, apart of this specification, in which Fig. l is a phantom top plan-view through the floor of a freight car, showing my improved device-attachedto the brake rigging; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view,'partly in section, showing the brakes in released position; Fig. 3 is a similar view, 'showingthe po. sition of the device when the brakes are set,

3 and with no wear on the brake shoes;

Fig. v4t is a similar .view of the device, showing its position whenthe brakes are set, with the top rod taken up or shortened, to compensate for the wear onthe br have partially worn off; Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail view', in side elevation; I I Fig. 6 is'a similar view, inplang-and g I Fig. 7 is afsectional view, taken on line 7-'7inFig;5.. "I i Similar reference numerals'refer-to similar parts throughout the entire description. 7

In the drawings, the floor 1 of the car is I shown indotted lines, as obviously it forms no part of my'invention. The wheels 2,

ake shoes which 1930. seria11w'o.46o,57a

brakeshoes 3, dead levers4 of each truck, lower rods 5 which connect the dead'levers 4 with floating truck levers 6, top rods 7 and -8 connected to the floating cylinder lever 9 anddead lever .10 the cylinder lever rod 11 and the 'brake push rod 14, are of the usual standard type employed, in'railroad cars as now constructed. The brake push rod .14 is connected to the air brake piston (not shown), slidably-mounted inIthe air cylinder 15, the latter and its air reservoir 16 being supported below the floor-1 of the car. 'In;

View of the fact that the censtructionof my device for the top rods 7 and 8 is just alike, I shall only describe a singleiconstruction, it being understood there is 'a similar device mounted on thev other top rod. I

The top rod? is provided with anupset ficient length to take-up the wear of the brake-shoes 3. This rod 7 extends into amember 19, which for convenience I term a jaw casting, though obviously it may be forged or formed in any other desired manner.

Theend 2-0 of the casting 19 is secured to the floating lever 9, by means of a pin 21. Thiscasting 19 is formed with a yoke 22, in-which is mounted a ratchet wheel nut 23. The Wheel portion of this nut 23 has a plurality of ratchet teeth 24t cut on its periphery, and has internal threads whichfit the threads 18 on the upset portion 17 the top rod7. The nut 23 has a laterallyi extending hub 25 on one.side,the exterior of whichis knurled to provide for its convenient manipulation. I

In order to protect the threads 18 from injury, a tube 26, preferably formed of steel, is mounted in the end of the jaw casting 19,

the threads 18, thus effectually preventing their being injured. On one side of thecasting 19', adjacent the yoke 22, is a laterally-ex.- tending stud 27. Rotatably mounted upon and extends outwardly far enoughto cover this stud 27 is a trigger lever, which, as clear- 'I 1y seen in the detail views, consists of a'cylindrical portion 28, and a bell crank portion havingarms 29 and 30, the latter having a tooth-engaging portion which meshes, with the ratchet teeth 24 on the ratchet wheel 23.-

Within the cylindrical portion 28, I mount lever, spring means mounted in said hub a coil spring-31, which is both a twist and compression spring,one end 31 of wh ch is secured to a flat washer 33, which is fitted to the end 34 of the stud 27. This end 34 has a segment inilled ofi, forming a fla't side, so that the washer 33 cannot rotate thereon, a pin 35 serving to hold the washer 33 in place,

, and thus put the spring 31 undercoinpression.

The other end36-of the spring 31is attached to the inner wall 37 of the cylindrical'portion 28, and serves to hold the tri ger in the position shown in full linesin'. ig. 5.

I provide a permanent stopbracket 38, located onthe car frame so that,-under normal conditions, the arm 29 of the trigger does not touch it. When the brakes are in released position, the device is as shown in F 2. When the brakes are set, as shown in Fig. 3, the top rod is moved back, carrying with it the jaw casting 19. This brings the a trigger arm 29 almost in contact with the permanent stop 38. If there is any wear, pro ducinglooseness of the top rod 7-, the trigger arm '29 will strike the permanent stop 38.

This will rotate the trigger on its stud 27,

causing the tooth-engaging portion 30 to catch the-next lower tooth on the ratchet wheel 23,, when the spring 31 will cause the trigger lever 29 to return to its normal position after the release of the brakes. Thas revolves the nut. 23 on the thread 18', and shortens the top rod 7. The spring 31 also yields by compression, permittin the needed upand-down movement over t e teeth 25 on. the ratchet nut 23- Inasmuch asthisoccurs every time there is any wear-,it followsI am able to kee the brake rigging normal at all times, regar less of the wear of the brakeshoes 3, and hence I can maintain the floating and dead levers 9 and 10 .at right angles to the center line of the air cylinder 15,.which is the ideal operative position. @When' the brake shoes 3 are so worn that they'must be replaced, this is accomplished by ulling'the' triggerv lever arm 29 around until it isfree of the ratchet teeth 25, when the hub 26 can be turned by hand untilthe reguired slack is obtained.

Iaving described my invention, what I regard as new, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination, with a-brake ri ging havingcylinder lever and top rods, o a threaded portion on theto rods, a member, pivotally secured to the cy inder lever, having a 1on gitudinal opening into which the threaded portion on the top rod extends, a ratchet nut rotatably mounted in said member, which holds it from longitudinal movement, ratchet teeth cut on a portion of'the periphery of said nut, a laterally extending stud on said which permit said hub to move longitudinally of said stud and which rotates said trigger lever when the-brakes are released, arms on said stud, a hollow hub, onthe trigger on said hub, one of which-engages the said "2. In a device of the character described,- the combination, witha brake rigging hav-' ing cylinder lever and top rods, of a threaded portion on said top-rods, a jaw casting, a laterally extending stud on' said casting, a trigger lever mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel nut mounted in said jaw casting and on said threaded portion of a topv rod, a permanent st0p,.against which said trigger lever abuts when the brakes are set and the brake shoes areworn, a spring attached to said trigger lever which permits it to move longitudinally'on said stud and which rotates said lever when the brakes are released.

3; In a device-of the character described, the combination,'with a brake rigging having cylinder, lever and top rods, of a threaded portion on said toprods, 'ajaw casting, 3. lat'- rally extending stud, a ratchet wheel nut mounted in said jaw casting and, on said threadedportion oi'atop rod, means, actuated b the longitudinalmovement of. the top r0 mounted on said stud, which rotates said nut if there is anyslack in the brake rigging and a spring which permits said means to move longitudinally on said stud and which rotates saidg-nieansthereon when the brakes are released;- 7 i 4. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination, with a brake rigging having cylinder lever and top rods, of a threaded portion on said top rods, aljawicasting, a lattrally extending stud thereoma ratchet wheel nut mounted in said jaw casting and on said threaded-portion of a top rod, means, actuated by the longitudinal movement of the top rod mounted on said stud, which rotates said nut if there is any slack in the brake rigging, and spring means to-permit said actuated means to move longitudinally on said stud and to .return said actuated means to normal position after the brakes are released. I

5. In a device o fthe,character described, thecombination', with a brake rigging having cylinder lever and top rods, of a threaded portion on said top rods, means to protect said threaded portion, a jaw casting, a laterally mits said actuating means to move longitudinally of said stud and to return said actuated means to normal position after the brakes are released 6. In, a device of the character described, the combination, with a brake rigging having cylinder lever and top rods, of a threaded portion on the top rods means to protect said threads, a member, pivotally secured to the cylinder lever, having a longitudinal opening into'which the threaded portion on the top rod extends, a ratchet nut rotatably mounted in said member, which holds it from longitudinal movement, ratchet teeth'cut on a;

portion of the periphery of said nut, 21 laterally extending stud on said member, a

. knurled portion on said nilt, a rotatable trig ger lever mounted on said stud, a hollow hub on the trigger lever, spring, means mounted in said hub which permit said hub to move longitudinally of said stud and which rotates said trigger lever when the brakes are released, arms on said hub, one of whichengages the'said ratchet teeth,and a permanent stop, against which the other arm of the trigger lever abuts when the brakes are set and the brake shoes are worn.

7. In a device ofthe character described, the combination, witha brake rigging having cylinder lever a'nd top rods, of a threaded portion on said rods, a jaw casting, a laterally extending stud on said casting, a trigger lever mounted thereon, a ratchet wheel I nut mounted in said j aw casting and on said threaded portion of a top rod, a permanent stop, against'which said trigger, lever abuts when the brakes are set and the brake shoes are worn, and a spring within said lever to' return it to normal position when the brakes are released. HARLEY E. ANDERSON. I 

